The Power Within
by Singer1108
Summary: sequel to "Powerless". Ichigo discovers that restoring his powers is physically impossible without Rukia, but Urahara has a secret plan to help him out. The final chapter is up! IchiRuki!
1. Part 1

There is no moon out tonight. There's nothing but a dark, empty sky. It's just another reminder that you too are gone. Day's have turned into endless nights, weeks have blurred together…I've just lost all concepts of time since you left. Because of your disappearance, it's like all the color in the world has completely faded. Everything, the grass, the sky, the sun, has lost its vibrance. All that's left is a colorless world; a lifeless illusion of black and white.

The more I think about it, the more I begin to wonder if it was real. Maybe I was dreaming all of it. Maybe it was all just a huge part of my imagination and that world we lived and fought in never really existed. Or maybe, I'm asleep right now and this world called 'reality' is really the dream. It's been so long, I can't tell the difference anymore. I wish there was some way I could wake up from this nightmare. I just wish you were here…Rukia.

XXXX

"Still locked away in your room, huh?"

"Go away, Renji. I don't want to talk to you."

"Look at you, Rukia! You're a complete mess! You need to get outside, get some fresh air!"

"No thanks," I said, my hair falling in my face as I turned away from him.

"I'm not giving you a choice," Renji said angrily before walking over to me and slinging me over his shoulder.

"Hey! What gives! Put me down!"

"Shut your damn mouth and quit squirming! This is for your own good!" he replied, carrying me towards the bright sunlight.

"What happened to you?" he asked minutes later, placing me down carefully on the porch beside him.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine."

"I mean what happened? Have you seen yourself lately? Your hair has grown quite a bit, you look paler than usual, and it's obvious you've lost weight."

"It's nothing to worry about, Renji."

"Like hell it isn't! You barely come out of your room! Your brother is worried sick about you! I'm worried about you! And I bet you ten thousand kan Ichigo would rip you a new one if he saw you like this!"

I fell silent at the harshness in Renji's voice before speaking.

"Ichigo won't see me like this. He can't…and he never will." I said slowly, staring at the ground.

"….ooooh. I get it now. You're still worried about him, aren't you?"

"I broke my promise, Renji." I said quietly.

"What promise?"

"That day…the day he lost his powers, I made him a promise. I told him I wouldn't leave him, and that's exactly what I've done."

Renji sighed and sat down quietly beside me.

"He can no longer see me, hear me, touch me, anything. I said I wouldn't leave, and yet, I've been removed from his life and it's just not fair!"

"Rukia, none of that is your fault!"

"How can you say that?" I screeched, my voice shaking.

"Because it's the truth. You've done nothing wrong. Ichigo knew the price he had to pay, so it's his fault, not yours. Do you understand?" Renji said.

"You're wrong…" I said, my body trembling with anger.

"Do you honestly believe you're responsible for him losing his powers? Because I know you better than anyone, and I know you don't really blame yourself." He said calmly.

"Renji…" I said.

"I know what's really bothering you. It's written all over your face. You're miserable without him, am I right?"

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open and my brain numb, unable to fully process what he had just said.

"I…I uh…"

"It's alright; you don't have to say it. I already know it's the truth. But…can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"If you're miserable here, why haven't you gone back?"

I paused, slightly taken back by his question. He had a point, though. What was the reason I remained in the Soul Society for so long?

"I really don't know…" I replied honestly. "Maybe I'm afraid,"

"You? Afraid? Of what?"

"I just…what if he's forgotten about me? Or worse…maybe he remembers me and is angry with what's happened and hates me for not coming back."

Renji sighed again before placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Rukia, listen. There is no way Ichigo would ever forget about you. You changed his life. Last I checked, you don't forget someone like that. And if I know Ichigo, I know he would never hold something like this against you. He's a lot like you in some ways; blames himself before blaming others."

"I don't know…" I said.

"Look, skulking around here in the soul society is not going to close the gap between the two of you. If you miss him that much, then fight this depression and go to him. That's what the Rukia I know would do, and I'm sure Ichigo's doing the same thing. He won't stop until he finds his powers and he won't stop until you're in his arms again."

I smiled softly at him before giving him a gentile hug.

"Thank you…." I whispered.

He grinned slightly. "Don't thank me yet. Once you see Ichigo again, then you can thank me."

XXXX

"Have you forgotten me…Ichigo?"

I blinked twice, trying to clear my vision to see the dark figure standing before me.

"Who are you?" I said to it.

The figure grew silent.

"I see….how very sad. I would have thought you'd at least remember the sound of my voice." He said, before slowly fading away.

"No wait! Don't go! Come back! Hey!" I shouted.

My eyes bolted open as I awoke in a pool of my own sweat. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness that filed my room as I sat myself up.

I've been having the same dream for a few nights now. Each night, the black figure becomes slightly clearer than the last, but still, I can't see his face.

_"I would have thought you'd at least remember the sound of my voice." _

The sad thing is, I do remember that voice. It seems so familiar, yet something about it has changed. It seems as though, somehow, the voice is filled with sorrow. Almost as if it's desperately crying out to someone it's lost. And the more I stop to think about it, the more I begin to recognize just who that voice belongs to.

Zangetsu.

XXXX

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise! Long time no see, Ichigo!"

"…Kisuke…"

"You seem troubled by something. Why not come in and have some tea while I pick your brain?"

I nodded and followed the shoddy shop keeper into the familiar store and took a seat at the small table.

"Tessai, we have a visitor!" Urahara chimed. "Make some tea, will ya?"

"Yes sir – Oh! Ichigo! So good to see you again." The tall man said, bowing to me.

"Uh…hello." I said nervously.

"Alright, alright, quit eyeballin' the poor kid and get back to making the tea." Urahara said, gesturing him out of the room.

"Now that they're gone for the moment, why not start off with explaining why you're here after not visiting for so many months."

"I need to ask you something. I could ask my dad, but something tells me you'll be able to help me better than he can."

He stared at me for a moment before speaking.

"Go on…" he said.

"It's just…I think I've been seeing Zangetsu in my dreams. He keeps calling out to me, but I can't see him clearly. All I see is a black figure."

"I had a feeling this would happen," he said to me.

"What do you mean?"

"When your dad trained you, he taught you how to use the Final Getsuga Tenshou, correct?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"If I know Isshin like I think I do, it's almost guaranteed he taught you how to use it without actually using the full extent of your powers."

I glared at him in confusion.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that your father protected you from completely destroying your powers."

"Destroying?"

"You're a bit slow today, aren't you? Look, what I'm saying is this: when you use the final Getsuga, you are using every bit of power you have, which will, in the end, destroy that power permanently. See, what's interesting is, your father discovered a loophole and taught you to use it without causing permanent damage to your powers." He explained.

"So you're saying that I still have my soul reaper powers?" I exclaimed.

"Technically, yes. But you see, there is something that troubles me."

"What is it?"

"You said Zangetsu is appearing in your dreams, but you can only hear his voice and not see him clearly. If I'm correct, this tells me that Zangetsu is having some trouble restoring himself."

"So…wait a second. I'm not following you."

"It seems to me that, although your abilities are somewhat returning, your Zanpaku-to suffered more damage that you did.

"So how do I help him? What can I do to get Zangetsu back to normal?" I asked frantically.

"Calm down. He might just need a booster of some sort."

"What do you mean by 'booster?"

"In order for Zangetsu to fully recover, you're going to have to settle your own turmoil going on inside of you. I believe, because of some inner conflict you've got going on, that your powers are being suppressed a bit. And because of that, Zangetsu is also suffering."

"Because of…me?"

"That's one way to look at it. So tell me, Ichigo. What is it that's really bothering you? After all, you seemed pretty content without your powers. Why the change of heart?"

I stared at him for a moment, my mind buzzing with so many thoughts, I was afraid it would burst.

"It's just…"

"It has to do with Rukia, doesn't it?" he said suddenly, causing me to flinch at the sound of her name.

"How…?"

"It's obvious that's what's got you so confused. The rain is back in your heart again, isn't it?"

I couldn't answer him. Instead, I clenched my fists and averted my eyes to the floor.

"She was the one who made it stop, was she not?" he prodded.

"Where are you going with this?" I said through clenched teeth.

"Your entire world was changed because of her, and even though you won't openly admit it, you were truly happy and more than thankful to her. You were finally given the power to protect those you cared about, all because of her. She was always your source of strength, wasn't she? If she is that important to you, then who do you think is important to Zangetsu?"

I paused for a moment to mull over the points he had made. If Rukia really is the reason behind my strength, then that means when she stabbed me with her Zanpaku-to that night she gave me her powers, that it was her Zanpaku-to that awakened Zangetsu. So Zangetsu's source of strength is…

"Sode no Shirayuki…" I muttered.

"Bingo," Urahara said a look of satisfaction on his face.

"So what do I do now?" I said slowly.

"Right now, I'm not entirely sure. There really isn't anything you can do."

"Why not?"

"Because without Rukia, you can never fully regain your powers. You need her to clear away that rain and Zangetsu needs Sode no Shirayuki to regain his strength."

"I'm well aware of that, but there's still one problem." I said.

"Rukia hasn't been here in seventeen months. She's probably forgotten all about me by now."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

I looked up at him out of frustration.

"What are you saying?"

"Come now, Ichigo. Do you honestly believe she'd forget about someone like you? You're just as big of an influence in her life as she is to yours."

"But…that's not possible is it?"

"You risked your life to save hers. Something like that isn't easily forgotten."

He was right, something like that isn't forgettable. No matter how many years pass by, the face of the person who saved your life will always remain crystal clear, and the name will always be on your mind. That's how it's been for me, and I know that's how Rukia feels.

"So, without Rukia, Zangetsu and I will never fully recover?"

"That's right."

"Then how do we close the gap between us? What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Don't you worry about that. Just leave everything to me." He said with a suspicious smile. "You just go home and get some rest. You're going to need it for tomorrow."

XXXX

I stared at my ceiling as I lay on my bed, my brain slowly becoming numb from the crazy thoughts buzzing in my head. I shut my eyes and sighed. I thought that by going to Urahara, he would clear up some of this confusion, but all he did was fill me with more questions.

"Just what the hell are you planning, Kisuke?" I said aloud, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Moments later, I felt myself drift off into sleep, Zangetsu's blurry figure appearing before my closed eyes.

"Ichigo…" he said sadly. "I miss her."

"I know…" I muttered. "I miss her too."

XXXX

"Captain Kuchiki…can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Renji?"

"It's…it's about Rukia, captain. I need your help with something."

"What is it you have planned, exactly?" Byakuya asked.

"A close friend of mine back in the world of the living has put together a plan to get Ichigo's powers back and to snap Rukia out of her depression. I need your help to make sure this plan goes through."

"Why would I help that Kuroaski boy with anything?" Byakuya asked coldly.

"Because by helping Ichigo, you're helping Rukia! Isn't that what you've been trying to do for some time now?"

"I fail to see how those two matters are related."  
"You can't be serious! How can you honestly sit there and say that? You know just as well as I do just how Important Ichigo is to your sister!"

"Regardless of the details, I don't see why I should get involved."

Renji growled at his comment, his anger level increasing exponentially.

"Alright, fine! Then don't think of it as doing Ichigo a favor. Think of it as doing Rukia a favor. After everything she's done for you, it's the least you can do for her!"

"Mind your tongue, lieutenant!"

"Hate to disappoint you, captain, but I refuse! I'm disgusted that you won't even do one measly thing to protect your sister! If you don't help me and Kisuke Urahara with this plan, Rukia will never recover from this and neither will Ichigo!"

"…I still don't see why I need to help Kurosaki."

"Because Rukia's in love with him, that's why!" Renji shouted, causing Byakuya's face to become pale.

"Come on, Captain. You were in love once. Hell, you're still in love with Hisana, right? Even though she's not here anymore, you still love her. And every day that passes by feel like an eternity wither her, doesn't it? You're miserable captain, I know you are. Do you really want Rukia to go through the same hell you're going through? Do you really want her to suffer like this for the rest of her life? Because I know deep down, you want to see her smile again."

Byakuya stared at Renji, his eyes shaking fervently, unable to find the right words to say.

"If you do this…if you help me help her, you'll end her suffering. Just…please. Don't let pride interfere with sincerity and love. Because, if you do, then everyone will suffer."

"Renji…how do you know about Hisana?"

"Rukia and I are close friends. Surely you must have known she told me about her true relationship with you and who Hisana really was.."

"…if I agree to help you, will you promise to help me keep an eyes on Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Renji paused before laughing slightly.

"I'll do anything you want, captain." Renji replied.

"Alright then. Let me ask you one more time. What is it exactly you all have planned?"

Renji smirked and pulled a neatly folded letter out from his shihaksho.

"It's all explained in this," he said, handing the letter over to Byakuya.

"….that's it?" he asked, an eyebrow rose after reading the letter.

"That's it," Renji replied.

"But that's so…simple."

"Which is exactly why it's going to work."

"If you say so…" Byakuya said, a sickly feeling sweeping over his body.


	2. Part 2

"A fight?" I asked, completely confused.

"Yes sir. That's the only way." Urahara said.

"But…I don't understand." I said slowly.

"you don't have to understand it, Ichigo. You just have to trust us." A voice said, causing something in my mind to stir.

"Y-Yoruichi?"

"Hey," she said, waving at me. "Long time, no see."

"W-why are you here?" I asked nervously. If there was one thing I knew, it was this: whenever Yoruichi and Urahara were involved in something together, there was sure to be trouble.

"Why else would I be here? I'm going to help you restore your powers. Kisuke contacted me immediately after your visit last night, and asked me to help. He also asked me to bring this." She said, pulling a small, sword like object from behind her back.

"What the hell is that?"

"That, my friend, is a special Stealth Force training weapon specifically designed to lure out the spiritual power lurking in a persons soul. In response to that, you'll be able to force Zangetsu into manifestation, meaning you will be able to fight with him just as you did before you lost your powers. Not only will you be able to use your zanpaku-to, you will also regain some spiritual abilities. For example, you'll be able to see and communicate with souls."

"Are you serious?" I said, somewhat excitedly.

"There is a catch, however." Yoruichi said, her tone of voice becoming very serious. "The effects of this weapon are only temporary. At the most, you'll have thirty minutes to complete this fight."

"Otherwise, if you fail, your powers could very well be permanently damaged and there will be no way of restoring them." Urahara stated.

I stared at the two of them, anger and a small sense of panic building up in my body.

"Nothing can ever be simple, can it?" I said through gritted teeth.

"It's only just begun,"

"There's more to this than you realize, Ichigo." Yoruichi continued.

"Why? What do you mean?" I prodded.

"You see…there's something we've been neglecting to tell you. And you're really not going to like it."

"Quit beating around the bush and just tell me already!" I shouted with anger.

"In order for this plan to successfully work, your opponent is going to have to be Rukia." Urahara said.

"Are you insane? " I spat, my temper rising. "I'm not fighting Rukia! What if I hurt her?"

"That won't happen if you keep a level head and focus, Ichigo." Yoruichi said calmly, yet firmly.

"Fine," I said, calming myself down. "But there's still something I don't understand."

"What is it?"

"I understand what this weapon will do and I understand the consequences if I fail. But what I still don't understand is how this is going to work. How is fighting Rukia going to restore my powers?" I asked slowly.

Urahara sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking.

"Do you remember anything I said yesterday? You need Rukia to clear away the rain in your heart. And Zangetsu needs Sode no Shirayuki to recover his powers fully."

"I know all that, but why do I have to fight her? That part doesn't make any sense!"

"Ichigo, let me explain. Just seeing Rukia might be enough for you, but Zangetsu is different. He needs to make physical contact with her zanpaku-to. Think of it as the zanpaku-to's way of embracing one another." Yoruichi said.

"…this plan is completely insane…" I said, a wave of uneasiness sweeping through my veins.

"You're just going to have to trust us. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, and you've got conflicting feelings about fighting Rukia, but if you believe in yourself and in Zangetsu, you will be able to do this." Yoruichi continued.

"I just have one more question," I said. "If I succeed in restoring my powers with this weapon, how will I know?"

Yoruichi and Urahara looked at one another suspiciously before returning their attention to me.

"Trust us, you'll know," they said in unison.

"Now listen closely, Ichigo. Renji is on his way here now with Rukia. They'll be here any second. You won't be able to fully see Rukia without the help of Yoruichi's weapon. So, for the first five minutes, you are going to force yourself to try and find Rukia on your own."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" I asked with panic.

"You're going to have to try and search for her spiritual pressure."

"And what happens if I can't do that?"

"You can, and you will, Ichigo." Urahara stated firmly.

"Once you are able to detect her spiritual pressure, I will toss you the weapon. The very instant you make contact with it, you will temporarily regain the Soul Reaper powers suppressed in your soul. You must begin the fight immediately and complete it within thirty minutes."

"I know that already!" I shouted, my nerves shaking violently.

"Well alright then, let's get started shall we? Start the search! Go Ichigo!"

"You mean…they're here already?"

"Yes, now go! Time's wasting!"

I looked around the underground training arena quickly, my body shaking with nerves. Somewhere out there, amongst the dirt mounds and the sand, Rukia is hiding. I only have five minutes to find her. Five minutes, and then, the real battle begins.

"I swear it on my soul; I will find you…Rukia."

XXXX

"Come on, get your things, we're leaving!"

"Huh?"

"You and I have been assigned to a top secret mission in the world of the living and we have to go now!"

"Secret mission...? Renji, what're you talking about?"

"Now's not the time to argue, Rukia! Just grab your zanpaku-to and come on! The senkaimon opens in five minutes!"

"But…wait a second! What's going on?" I shouted.

"I'll explain on the way, just hurry up!"

"Wait, Renji-"

"Come on! Let's go!" Renji shouted, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me out of my room.

"Renji, would you please tell me what's going on?" I begged.

"I told you already, we're going to the world of the living."

"But why?"

Renji stopped suddenly, causing me to bump into his back.

"Because I'm taking you to see Ichigo." He said quietly, averting his eyes.

"You're what?" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard what I said. I'm taking you to see Ichigo." He repeated, refusing to turn and face me.

"Renji, I don't understand. What..how?"

"Look, as of right now, Ichigo's at Urahara's preparing to begin a very important battle. One that will help him regain his Soul Reaper powers. And in order for him to do that, he needs you to be there. Because without you, it will be physically impossible for him to get his powers back."

"Wait, what do you mean? He's trying to get his powers back?"

"I don't understand it all either, but somehow he managed to regain some of his old powers, but is having some issues restoring them completely." He explained. "Urahara's got an idea on how to help him, so he asked me to bring you to the world of the living. Somehow, you're involved in the battle."

"Involved in the battle?" I asked with confusion. "You mean-"

"You and Ichigo are going to have to fight." He said.

"Have you completely lost your mind? I can't fight Ichigo! He's too powerful! He could easily kill me if he wanted!" I exclaimed.

"Who says he wants to?" Renji said, tugging on my wrist. "Just come on, we're running out of time."

I followed him silently the rest of the way to the sankaimon. So, Ichigo had somehow restored some of his powers and he needs me to regain them fully. Even though it was Renji who told me these things, I still found them a little strange. I still had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I knew now was not the time. Because, soon enough, all those questions would be answered.

"Are you ready?" Renji asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Mmm," I nodded, swallowing a newly formed dry lump in my throat.

"It won't be long before the fight will begin. Whatever you do, don't hold back."

"But Renji-"

"Just because it's Ichigo doesn't mean you need to take it easy. Attack him with your full strength. Put your personal feelings aside for a half an hour and force him to fight you. Because if this fails…"

"…if this fails…what?"

He turned and faced me, his eyes burning like I've never seen before.

"Rukia, if this doesn't work, you'll never be able to see him again."

I felt my heart leap and my stomach do a flip at the seriousness of his words.

"So I'll ask you one more time. Are you ready to do this?"

I paused for a moment, quickly mulling over my thoughts.

"What other choice do I have?" I said, making my way ahead of Renji. "Ichigo needs me. I'm not going to turn my back on him."

Renji smiled and put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"You can do this," he said to me.

I smiled. "Let's get going. Time's running out." I said before crossing through the threshold of the senkaimon.


	3. Part 3

"Two minutes to go! Hurry up, Ichigo!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" I shouted, my heart racing. I was beginning to panic. I was never all that good at detecting someone's spiritual pressure to begin with, but now that I had no other choice, I was really feeling stressed.

"Calm down and focus…" I said to myself. "I just have to remember the familiar feeling of her spiritual pressure."

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, attempting to clear my mind and find my focus.

"Remember what it felt like to have her close by. Just like old times."

"One minute remaining!"

I grunted in irritation and returned to concentrating.

"Come on, Rukia. Where are you?"

Suddenly, as if on cue, I felt it; the gentile, yet threatening presence that I knew all too well. My eyes shot open, and my heart jumped in excitement. Although it was faint, I could feel it. I could feel her spiritual pressure.

"I found you!" I exclaimed, turning in the direction in which I felt her.

"Excellent," Urahara mumbled, a strange smile breaking on his face.

"Ichigo!" he yelled to me. "Can you see her?"

I looked at him in confusion and then back in Rukia's direction. I stared intently at the spot where she should have been, but saw nothing.

"No, I can't!" I replied. "But I know she's here."

"You still have thirty seconds. Try and see if you can see her on your own." He said to me.

"I don't have time for more of your games! Just toss me the weapon!"

"Not until you can see her!"

"You bastard," I mumbled, staring into space again.

"Rukia…" I said. "Help me out here…"

"Ten seconds!"

I swallowed hard, and continued to scan the area, straining my eyes in the process. Everything looked the same as before. Or, so I thought. Something had changed off in the distance. I blinked a few times thinking maybe I was seeing things, but I knew I wasn't. The area began to twist and wiggle, almost as if I was watching a heat wave.

"Five…four…three…"

"Over there!" I shouted.

"…two…one."

Urahara and Yoruichi were silent, both looking me up and down with a very strange expression on their face.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"…get going. You've got a battle to fight." Yoruichi said, tossing the 'zanpaku-to' to me.

I grasped the hilt firmly, the power of this strange weapon running through every nerve in my body. A bright blue light surrounded me, forcing my soul from my body and leaving it lifeless upon the ground. I looked down to see myself clothed in black and a gigantic sword held tightly in my hand.

"Zangetsu…" I said.

"Don't just stand there, you fool. Focus on your opponent!"

I flinched at the familiar voice and turned just in time to defend myself from an attack I wasn't expecting.

"R-Rukia?" I gasped. "What're you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she said sarcastically, flash stepping behind me. "I'm here to fight!"

She swung her zanpaku-to, forcing me to dodge roll to the left.

"Hey, wait a second!"

"No time!" she said, attacking me once more, only to be blocked. "We've got a time limit, don't we?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then talk while you fight! And don't you dare hold back, you got it?"

"But-"

"Because I'm not! Hado 31: Shakkaho!"

Before I could fully understand what was happening, I was struck in the stomach from her attack and thrown into a rock wall.

"You haven't changed at all," she said to me, her voice strangely cold. "Still letting your personal feelings prevent you from fighting."

"Shut up," I grunted, sitting myself up. "You have no room to lecture me."

"What're you talking about?"

"You say I'm letting my personal feelings get in the way of me fighting, but what about you? You think I can't tell that you're holding back?"

She glared at me, her eyes like daggers.

"How dare you!" she said, taking a fighting stance.

"Heh. Same old Rukia. Not only are you still short, you've still got that short fuse."

"Shut up, you idiot!" she yelled, running towards me, her zanpaku-to held high above her head.

I stood up quickly and deflected her attack.

"Tell me something, Rukia. Tell me why. Why didn't you come back?" I asked, jumping backwards.

"Maybe I didn't want to come back!" she exclaimed.

"Like hell you didn't! Karakura's your home!" I said, flash stepping closer to her.

"That's where you're wrong!" she said, blocking my swing with Sode no Shirayuki. "I belong in the Soul Society!"

"Have you forgotten the Soul Society tried to kill you?"

"Have you forgotten that it was all part of Aizen's plan?" she said, sending a wall of ice my way.

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!" I shouted, destroying the ice wall.

Rukia stared at me, her eyes shaking with fear and rage.

"You fool! You could have killed me!"

"Just shut up! I'm not done talking!" I said, lowering my weapon and staring at her. "I don't believe that you didn't want to come back here. I think you were just afraid."

"You don't know me!" she said, swinging her zanpaku-to towards me

"Oh really? I don't know you?" I said, counter attacking. "I know you more than you realize. You probably thought I would be upset with you for making a promise that I knew from the very beginning you wouldn't be able to keep!"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you honestly believe I would blame you for something I was responsible for?

She looked at me again, only this time, with confusion.

"What?" she asked, dropping her guard.

"Ichigo! You've only got fifteen minutes left! Don't waste any more time!" Yoruichi shouted from the distance.

"Listen to me, Rukia." I said, raising Zangetsu in front of me. "You should have come back sooner. Because if you would have done that, then we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

I lunged forward and made contact with her sword, noticing quickly that my own sword had started to glow a deep red color.

"What the…?" I said.

"Ichigo…I'm sorry." Rukia said, fighting me off one attack at a time. "I'm sorry I never came back and I'm sorry that this is what happened. I still don't fully understand why fighting you will help you regain your powers, but if this is what we have to do, then come on. Let's finish this."

I smiled at her and nodded.

"Alright…" I said, tightening my grip on my sword. "If you're sure about this."

"Do have any other option?" she asked me, taking on an unfamiliar fighting stance. "I want this to work just as much as you do."

"So then, you know the consequences if this doesn't work?" I asked calmly.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm very much aware of what'll happen. But…"

"But what?"

"Let's just say I'm not too worried about the outcome." She said, smiling softly at me.

I looked at her carefully, making sure to burn her image into my memory, just in case, for whatever reason, I failed at restoring my powers. She had changed quite a bit physically, but she was still the same old Rukia.

Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation shooting through my arm. I directed my attention to my sword, now glowing even brighter than before.

"What the hell…hey! Yoruichi! What the hell's happening?" I yelled.

"You've reached the final stage of the battle. Whatever you do, don't let go of that weapon!" she said, a small hint of panic in her voice.

"Ichigo…" a voice said. "Just one more attack, and it's all over."

"Zangetsu?"

"One more, and we will be together again."

"…I understand." I muttered, looking at my zanpaku-to, then back to Rukia.

"Rukia," I said to her. "I need you to listen carefully. This next attack, you have to come at me with everything you've got. Absolutely no holding back, understand?"

"Ichigo-"

"You have to do it. You don't have a choice. Because this next attack will decide everything. I need you to do this."

"Well…what about you? You can't hold back either." She said with hesitation.

"I won't , I promise."

"Okay," she said, raising her spiritual pressure.

"Get ready," I said, increasing my own pressure.

"Bring it on, Strawberry." She teased.

We stared at one another before flash stepping closer together. We swung our swords with full force, and soon made contact, the sound erupting like a thunder crack. Seconds later, we were enveloped in a searing white light, blinding me and forcing me to close my eyes. Within moments, that light faded and everything was silent. I opened my eyes to see nothing but a dust cloud surrounding me.

"Did it work?" I asked myself.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said from the dust cloud.

I turned around to face the voice that called out to me and froze, my mouth agape at the sight before me.

"Whoa…" I managed to say.

Amidst the dust stood two figures, one slightly taller than the other. It wasn't until the dust began to settle before I realized who they were. Right before my eyes stood the perfect manifestations of Zangetsu and Sode no Shirayuki.

"It's been a while…Zangetsu." Sode no Shirayuki said, her voice both gentile and sincere.

Zangetsu smiled slightly and continued to stare at her, his eyes staring directly into hers.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" she joked, smiling at him.

Zangetsu laughed softly before making his way closer to her, and carefully wrapping his arms around her.

"You're back," he whispered to her, tightening his embrace slightly.

"You fool," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "I never really left."

I watched the two of them closely as they slowly, but surely, began to fade away.

"Ichigo…" Zangetsu said, looking sternly at me before grinning. "Thank you."

"…sure, no problem." I said, running my hand through my hair.

Moments later, the two had completely vanished. The only person I saw standing before me was Rukia.

"Rukia? I-I can still-" I said, before being off by the sound of a one man applause.

"Well done, Ichigo. That was quite a performance." Urahara said, appearing next to me.

"Urahara," I said. "Explain what just happened. How did our zanpaku-to's appear like that?"

"That was the sign, Ichigo. The sign that you successfully restored your powers."

"W-You mean?"

"He's right," Yoruichi said. "You did it. And in less than twenty minutes."

"That's the fastest time in all of the Soul Society's history." Renji said, appearing behind Yoruichi.

"R-Renji!" I said, forgetting that he was the reason Rukia was brought here.

"Hey," he replied, nodding his head.

"So, how does it feel, huh? Just like old times, right?" Urahara said prodded, jabbing me in the ribs.

"No," I said, rubbing my side. "Not yet."

I looked over to Rukia, who had remained silent for the past few minutes. She was staring at me, her violet eyes shaking gently as they looked into mine. I smiled and moved closer to her, not breaking the eye contact.

"Hey," I said to her.

"Ichigo…" she whispered, smiling sweetly at me.

Suddenly, she took a step back and reached her hand out towards me.

"Welcome back," she said.

I laughed as I shook her hand.

"Yeah," I replied.

She continued to stare at me, her eyes gleaming with tears. I gently pulled her hand and into my chest, wrapping my arms around her small and fragile figure.

"Hey, no more cryin', alright?" I said to her, stroking her long, feathery hair. This time, I'll be the one to make you a promise.

She pulled away and looked at me, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"What are you talking about?" she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"This time, I'm making the promise. I promise you that I'll never do something to jeopardize my powers. I promise you, you won't lose me. Not again, not ever." I said, wiping the tear off her face.

"That's an awful big promise." She said with a smile.

"But I'm not going to break it," I replied, pulling her closer to me.

"I know you won't," she said, burying her face into my chest.

XXXX

A few weeks have passed since my powers have returned, and everything is as it should be. I no longer view the world as a lifeless illusion. Instead, I see it as a heaven on earth. The colors have all come back, and everything is just how I remember it, like before she vanished from my life. Now that she's back, my world has returned to a state of normalcy (if you can call it that). All I know is, without Rukia, this world meant nothing. But now that she's returned, I feel a sense of belonging, something I vowed a long time ago to protect. Because she belongs in this world, with all of us, and with me.


End file.
